Album of the Year
Winner - Beyoncé “Renaissance”
Runners Up - Rosalia “Motomami”, Harry Styles “Harry’s House, Summer Walker “Still Over It”
Lizzo “Special”, Brandi Carlile “In These Silent Days”, Big Thief “Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You”, Kendrick Lamar “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers”
Commentary - Like all of us, I celebrated the Bey-aissance with her glorious return to solo work for the first time in six years. Renaissance is a dream of an album. It is politically potent, fiercely fun, and a bold dance, pop, soul, R&B, genre-defying album. It plays on history, showcases and celebrates black excellence, and is a delightfully queer-themed album that celebrates the ball culture and queer influence on electronica/dance music, and on music and style in general. A triumphant return, and a magnificent and inclusive record that will be be remembered as one for the ages.
Single of the Year
Winner - Taylor Swift “All to Well (Taylor’s Version)”
Runners Up - Adele “Easy On Me”, Lizzo “About Damn Time”, DJ Khaled feat Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, John Legend, and Fridayy “God Did”, Summer Walker, SZA, and Cardi B “No Love”
Commentary - We all knew All to Well, and it was a fan favorite off of her album Red. But we had no idea the full power of this song. Her 10-minute version broke pop culture, broke our hearts, and reminded us of why Swift is one of the best song writers in modern pop music.
Best New Artist
Winner - Brittney Spencer
Runners Up - Zach Bryan, Omar Apolo, Black Country New Road, Flo Milli
Commentary - With only a handful of EP's and singles, Brittney Spencer is already making her name in country music, and is about to explode as her record deal starts to produce even more content. In this short time, Brittney Spencer has given country music her own spin, beautifully mixing in soul and gospel sounds to create a fantastic sound. She has also been very vocal about the need to continue to diversify and expand country music to be a bigger tent for all artists. Great music and a vision for the future of the music she loves makes Brittney Spencer a star on the rise, and I cannot wait to see what she does next.
Best Pop Album
Winner - Rosalia “Motomami”
Runners Up - Harry Styles “Harry’s House”, Adele “30”
Commentary - A big bold pop records that blends her previous style, with new fusions of dance and hip-hop. Honestly, it is just a joy to listen to this album. Great vocals, great productions values, and an incredible artist at the top of her game.
Best Pop Performance
Winner - Taylor Swift “All to Well (Taylor’s Version)”
Runners Up - Adele “Easy On Me”, Rosalia “Candy”, Harry Styles “As it Was”
Commentary - See Single of the Year
Best Rock/Alternative Album
Winner - Big Thief “Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You”
Runners Up - Black Country, New Road “Ants From Up Here”, Angel Olsen “Big Time”, Spoon “Lucifer on the Sofa”, Wet Leg "Wet Leg", Wilco “Cruel Country”
Commentary - Alternative music is such a broad spectrum, and Big Thief's record is probably on the far end, with a rock record that isn't head bumping, loud, guitar thrashing. Instead, it is an album that is calming almost, oddly yet effectively experimental, and continues to push forward the genre in fascinating ways.
Best Rock/Alternative Performance
Winner - Big Thief “Change”
Runners Up - Mammoth WVH “Talk and Walk”, Spoon “The Hardest Cut”
Wilco “Falling Apart (Right Now)”
Commentary - See Rock/Alternative Album.
Best R&B Album
Winner - Beyonce “Renaissance”
Runners Up - Lizzo “Special”, Summer Walker “Still Over It”
Commentary - See Album of the Year
Best R&B Performance
Winner - Summer Walker, SZA, and Cardi B “No Love”
Runners Up - Beyonce “Break My Soul”, Steve Lacy “Bad Habit”, Jazmine Sullivan "Hurt Me Go Good"
Commentary - I really don't understand why Grammy voters have not embraced Summer Walker, whose Still Over It was a fantastic R&B record this year. They missed the boat, and this particular single with three powerhouses is one of this year's best.
Best Rap Album
Winner - Kendrick Lamar “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers”
Runners Up - Megan Thee Stallion “Traumazine”, Pusha T “It’s Almost Dry”, Vince Staples “Ramona Park Broke My Heart”
Commentary - Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers may not be the best effort from Kendrick Lamar, yet it is still better than the competition, showcasing just how high Lamar has set the bar for hip-hop music. This album is an incredibly emotional experience, and puts Lamar on another level.
Best Rap Performance
Winner - DJ Khaled feat Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, John Legend, and Fridayy “God Did”
Runners Up - Kendrick Lamar “The Heart Part 5", Latto “Big Energy”, Nicki Minaj “Super Freaky Girl”, Pusha T feat. Jay-Z and Pharrell Williams “Neck & Wrist”
Commentary - Jay-Z's verse. That is all.
Best Country/Americana Album
Winner - Brandi Carlile “In These Silent Days”
Runners Up - Miranda Lambert “Palomino”, Maren Morris “Humble Quest”, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss “Raise the Roof”, Amanda Shires “Take It Like a Man”
Commentary - Brandi Carlile just continues to built on her success and talent, knocking it out of the park again with In These Silent Days. She continues her brilliant mix of Americana and country. while blending in blues and pop, with songwriting and production values that are always top notch. It wasn't that long ago that she was an underground hit, only known to the devout followers of the genre. I am so happy that she has finally reached a broader audience, and is showcasing her skills to a continually growing fanbase.
Best Country/Americana Performance
Winner - Zach Bryan “Something in the Orange”
Runners Up - Brandi Carlile feat. Lucius “You and Me on the Rock”, Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde “Never Wanted to Be That Girl”, Bonnie Raitt "Just Like That", Robert Plant and Alison Krauss “High and Lonesome”, Amanda Shires “Lonely At Night”
Commentary - Zach Bryan, a breakout country star, had one of the best singles of the past year with Something in the Orange. Soulful, simple, and incredibly resonant, Bryan left his whole heart on this record, and made one of 2022's best country songs.
